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Shannon

A casual question raised during a pitch on an episode of Shark Tank has much of America wondering: Does olive oil go bad?

In his pitch to the Sharks, Chase Hoyt explains how his product, the Intelli-Stopper, can be used to not only preserve wine, but olive oil too. The stopper maintains the integrity of the bottle’s contents by preventing oxygen from leaking in after the bottle is sealed with a vacuum pump. If the seal is compromised, an indicator on the stopper is triggered, sets off your house alarm, and sends a troop of elves to repair the seal (just kidding on those last two features, but that would be cool, no?)

While it’s no secret long term exposure to oxygen can turn a bottle of wine into sour grapes, it was news to the Sharks–save Kevin O’Leary who revealed he collects high end oils–that oxygen can have a similar affect on oil.

The results of a three-year Australian study confirms exposure to light, heat, and oxygen all contribute to the decline of an oil’s quality and can cause early rancidity not just in the time it sits on your shelf, but from the very beginning of its production.

So how do you tell if your olive oil is bad? Open the bottle and smell it.

Good olive oil will smell like fresh green, ripe olives.

Rancid olive oil will smell like crayons or putty. It will also have a greasy mouthfeel and the flavor of rancid nuts. If your oil has any of these qualities, toss it!

It’s important to remember olive oil is a perishable food–all bottles will go rancid eventually–but it is said when properly handled, sealed and stored in a cool dark place, olive oil will be ‘good’ for two years from the date it was bottled. If your bottle is older than two years, consider starting with a fresh one. And always remember: When it doubt, throw it out!